“The rights of men are being violated as women are accessing opportunities that would have otherwise been available to them, and as per Islam, women must stay at home. Furthermore, we are there to provide them with money anyway!” This was the argument presented by a university student while he was defending the rights of men. Knowing that the student was a student of law in Pakistan, I couldn’t say that his comments had surprised me. Such points of view are actually quite common. Understanding what leads to the formation of such a mind-set, however, is not.

What leads a young man to develop such an understanding of ‘human rights’? Is it culture? Or are the sermons of religious leaders to blame? Maybe it is the educational system which is to blame.

Sadly, even certain very educated minds have such views about ‘gender equality’. This is only to be expected, because centuries of cultural norms and tradition are not easy to change. Also, people on both sides of the argument need to realize that the territory called Pakistan today has a long history of cross-cultural interaction. As a result of this, many notions which aren’t actually a part of any religious directives have blended in with our culture, masked as religious edicts.

This has led to the role of women being misinterpreted and misrepresented. The contributions of women throughout history, including during the time of the Holy Prophet (PBUH) have been ignored in the popular narrative about gender roles in our country. After all, the Prophet’s (PBUH), first wife Hazrat Khadija (RA), was a successful business woman. There is also Rufaida Binte Saad, from the Bani Alsam Tribe of Khizraj, who was the first professional nurse of her time. She is known for leading a group of volunteers during war, and catering to the sick in peacetime.

Our textbooks retain and impart a patriarchal worldview. This is despite the fact that our Constitution recognises men and women as equal citizens

Then there is Umm-e-Ummara Al Ansariyah, a great nurse and warrior. Her real name was Nusyaba Bint-e-Kaab. She volunteered as both a nurse and a warrior during different battles, including the Battle of Uhud, when she valiantly defended our beloved Prophet (PBUH).

Sadly, these women are hardly ever mentioned at any point. All of our textbooks retain and impart a patriarchal worldview. This is despite the fact that our Constitution recognises men and women as equal citizens.

Let’s take a glance at the Urdu textbooks for grades eight and nine. The first lesson is a Hamd, followed by a lesson on Ghazi Ilm Din Shaheed. Several more lessons follow, in which all the leading characters are male. There is only one chapter dedicated to a woman, Ms Fatima Jinnah. A similar pattern is followed in the grade eight textbook.

So how can we expect children to grow up viewing men and women as equals when the two genders aren’t given equal representation in their school lessons? However, it’s not just school that is a problem. It’s the home and family life that has the biggest impact on a child’s mind. How would it affect our children’s perception of the world when they see that rules are very flexible for boys very strict for girls?

All of this needs to change, and for that a multi-pronged approach is needed that begins from the home. Boys and girls must be treated as equals so children view this as the norm while growing up. Our textbooks also need to change and be more inclusive towards women. Great women from Muslim history need a special role here. Lastly, religious teachers and scholars from all schools of thought need to promote the acceptance of gender equality as well. Through such steps, our society can begin to change.

The writer has experience in the field of education and is currently working as a resource person in the development sector